THE GEORGIST NEWS

Deadline for our January 2005 issue: December 25.

We wish each and every one of you a safe and healthy holiday season. Consider now what your New Year's Resolution for economic justice action will be, and tell us so that we can share it with other readers. If you are affiliated with a Georgist organization, please tell us what that group's top priorities for 2005 will be, or should be. You can always reach the Georgist News at gn@progress.org

CONTENTS: (to return here just click the headline)

  1. Holiday Words from the CGO
  2. An Inquiry from Tony Vickers
  3. Growth Management Acts
  4. News from the Henry George Institute
  5. An Inquiry from the Forum on Geonomics
  6. Georgist Planners Seek Your Opinion
  7. Online Directory - Are You Here?
  8. The Market Speaks - Nobody Wants Philadelphia's "Business Privilege" Tax
  9. Anglican Bishop Supports Georgist Taxation Policy
10. Weak Dollar, Strong Message
11. Pro-Democracy Legislation
12. A Call for Nominations
13. Upcoming Event
14. AT THE MARGIN: Quips and Quotes
15. About The Georgist News

1. Holiday Words from the CGO

CGO Administrator Sue Walton offers you these remarks:

1. Did you know that as of 12/1/04, it is only 245 days until the 2005 CGO conference in Philly?
2. Trivia: what famous Georgist family helped to buy a building on Rittenhouse Square for the Ethical Culture Society? (Hint: think Fairhope.) The answer will appear in the January issue.

2. An Inquiry from Tony Vickers

Georgist Tony Vickers of Landvaluescape.org has recently been voted onto the UK Association for Geographic Information's governing council. Vickers will take up his appointment in 2005.

Meanwhile, Vickers is inviting your opinion on a specific topic. Here is how he describes the situation:

"The emerging findings of my PhD research indicate that it may be best not to link value mapping with property tax reform, especially as there seem to be a number of industry sectors (insurance, institutional investment, mortgage lenders) who could be interested in value mapping but not in tax reform - and who could fund the necessary activities.

"Government's role should be to 'let it all happen'. Instead of allowing publicly funded geo-data production agencies to 'play shop', there should be a fundamental review of the way GI (geographic information) is managed in the UK.

"Ironically we need to think less about maps and more about e-government information if we are to get the data fit for many purposes such as value mapping.
At http://www.landvaluescape.org/archives/Rd3Q.doc is the form for you to complete if you want to help develop my Action Plan. Return completed form to me by email before 20 December."

Please help Tony Vickers, particularly if you have any familiarity with mapping, municipal information gathering, or the United Kingdom.

3. Growth Management Acts

GN Comments: Here is an interesting item found by Ed Dodson of the School of Cooperative Individualism.

The following story appeared in the National Center for Policy Analysis email newsletter on Nov. 12:

Growth Management Acts (GMAs) are used by some states and counties to limit uncontrolled growth that proponents say facilitates "urban sprawl." But in many cases, GMAs are not too effective at controlling growth, and are often influenced by rent-seekers, says Randall G. Holcombe, a professor of economics at Florida State University and Chairman of the Research Advisory Council at the James Madison Institute.

While Oregon has had moderate success with their GMA, Florida has been quite another story. The state passed a GMA in 1985 which was designed to work like the GMA that was passed in Oregon in 1973, but according to observers has fallen short of its intended goals, says Holcombe:

• The flexibility of Florida's GMA (which allows changes to the plan up to twice a year) provided incentives for local special interest groups to push for changes to suit their own needs.
• Florida's population is more decentralized than Oregon's, so restrictions in one area simply resulted in people and building projects moving to other areas; for example, growth restrictions in Leon County created a growth boom in neighboring Wakulla County.
• Florida's target of halting additional traffic congestion on existing roads prevented the development of urban infill areas; as a result, builders who wished to develop infill had to contribute money for transportation improvements.

Despite the relative ineffectiveness of Florida's Growth Management Act, the plan has imposed higher costs on developers, made housing less affordable for consumers and created incentives for economic development to go outside of the state to less restrictive areas, says Holcombe.

Source: Randall G. Holcombe, "Why Has Florida's Growth Management Act Been Ineffective," James Madison Institute, Spring/Summer 2004.

4. News from the Henry George Institute

by Lindy Davies, Program Director

The Henry George Institute has embarked on a drive for as many new students as it can possibly get. Its goal is to triple its enrollments for the upcoming year. People who should be students are going untaught; the news about economic sanity is going untold. But everyone out there can help. The Institute offers membership dues in-kind for volunteer help: if you can convince two students to enroll in an HGI course, you may have a year's subscription to the Georgist Journal. There are other volunteer opportunities, too!

To find out more, email lindy@henrygeorge.org

5. An Inquiry from the Forum on Geonomics

Jeffery Smith of the Forum on Geonomics seeks your help. Here's his message:

Which idea works for you? The ideas sketched out below are trying to suggest the revenue reform envisioned by geonomics. Instead of paying individual sellers for land (including sites, resources, and ecosystem services), society would pay all its members. That is, we'd all pay "land dues" instead of taxes and we'd all get "rent dividends" back, like Alaska's oil shares. Think Alaska's oil dividend and it's not so complicated. In our mass market of sound bytes and bumper stickers, revenue reform needs its own image, its own slogan. Would you wear any of the below on a T-shirt? Would any of them catch your eye and make you want to ask its wearer a question? Can you think of any better ideas? Can you draw quirkily?

I, Monopoly Corner

ART: At a fancy open gate on the Monopoly board corner of "GO", a fancy-dressed porter hands out cash to passers-by.

CAPTION: "When neighbors pay each other for nature."

II, Spark of life

ART: One hand releases Earth, another smaller one hands up cash, with a background of space and stars.

CAPTION: "Not me, Man. Pay those whom you exclude from the land you choose."

III, Fruit of the earth

ART: An Earth fruit hangs from a tree with other Earth-fruits in the background; at the base of the tree, three people lounge, arranged in a peace symbol.

CAPTION: "I'm spending my share of Earth's worth on a college education or a complete make-over."

IV, Penthouse uber alles

ART: A wealthy couple at their penthouse picture window looking down on people in the street below the size of ants; one shakes his head.

CAPTION: "Oh, to never experience being paid for Creation - unimaginable."

V, Lording it over others

ART: On each mountain peak, sit gurus in lotus positions, bearded, one higher than all the others, who are looking up at him.

CAPTION: Since your location beats our, mightn't you owe us compensation, Oh Most Exalted?"

Beneath each one is the footer: www.geonomics.org

Well, can you help? Many thanks for your consideration. Send your reactions to jjs@geonomics.org

6. Georgist Planners Seek Your Opinion

GN Comments: Of course you know that the 2005 CGO conference will be in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Advance planners are already thinking about the 2006 conference, to be held in Chicago, Illinois. Here are some notes from Scott Walton:

If you were on the CGO conference bus tour of Chicago back in 1995, you might remember that the following items were invented in Chicago: the reaper-1831; the elevated railway-1883; the Ferris Wheel-1893; and deep dish pizza in 1943.

The initial planning meeting for the 2006 conference will be held in January, 2005. We'd like your input as to what kinds of things you'd like to see and do in Chicago. The local hosts are considering the possibility of an optional (extra cost) elevated train tour version of the famous Economist Bus Tour of Chicago, to be held on the last day of the conference. Since this tour would take a lot of time to organize, please contact Scott Walton (swalton@surfbest.net) or Chuck Metalitz (taxpayer@pobox.com), if you would be interested in such a tour. Add any other ideas and suggestions that you might have.

7. Online Directory - Are You Here?

The Council of Georgist Organizations member directory has been updated. You can browse the listing online at:

Do you notice any mistakes? Please send any adjustments or corrections to Lindy Davies at lindy@henrygeorge.org as soon as possible, before the printed version of this directory is created. We want all your information to be perfect.

8. The Market Speaks - Nobody Wants Philadelphia's "Business Privilege" Tax

GN Comments: The leading "place your old junk up for auction" web site, eBay, featured an unusual item recently - the City of Philadelphia's "Business Privilege" Tax. Some wise guys at the group Philadelphia Forward, which supports land value taxation and other smart measures to help the decaying city revitalize its economy, took it upon themselves to place this tax up for auction.

For more information, see Philadelphia Forward's web site at http://www.philadelphiaforward.com/

During the seven-day offering period, no one made a bid. Not even the Philadelphia politicians who oppose tax reform and embrace the outdated business privilege tax.

Philadelphia Forward generated some publicity from their move to "auction off" one of their city's worst taxes. What could Georgists do with this idea, or something like it? Can we build on that clever Philadelphia Forward campaign in ways that would bring favorable publicity to us, and negative attention to monopoly and special privilege?

9. Anglican Bishop Supports Georgist Taxation Policy

GN Comments: Bishop James Jones has called for a fundamental tax shift. Read all about it in The Progress Report's reprint of an article from The Guardian (UK):

10. Weak Dollar, Strong Message

by Hanno T. Beck

During the last four weeks I have heard and read quite a bit about the "weak U.S. dollar" and how it is expected to continue to weaken because nobody thinks that the Bush administration will do anything serious to curtail the nation's trade deficit.

You too have probably heard a good deal on this topic. We can discuss and debate these points enjoyably, I am sure, but I wonder precisely what we, as Georgists, can say to the average non-Georgist on this subject?

Is there a brief but telling statement that we can make in conversation with our friends and neighbors, that sheds light on the "weak dollar" subject and portrays Georgism as a more sensible paradigm than the current jumble?

If you dare, write something - in 100 words or less, can you get our points across? We hope to show you some good examples in the near future. Send yours to gn@progress.org

If we receive more than three entries, there will be a prize. Enter as many times as you wish. Thank you!

11. Pro-Democracy Legislation

GN Comments: One of the clear lessons of the "Election Day" events in the United States on November 2nd, is the urgent need for pro-democracy reforms in the U.S. Here is an announcement, forwarded to us by Jeff Smith of the Forum on Geonomics, naming two important pieces of pro-democracy legislation that deserve support from all patriotic Americans and anyone who favors honesty over corruption.

"Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr. has introduced two bills into the House of Representatives. Take a minute to contact your congresspersons and urge them to support these bills. Phone calls and letters will help to make sure they notice that their constituents are watching their actions on these bills. You can easily find out your Congressperson's contact information at http://www.house.gov/ or by telephoning 202-224-3121.

"House Resolution 5293 would require states to conduct general elections for Federal office using an instant runoff voting system.

"House Joint Resolution 109 would amend the Constitution to abolish the Electoral College and provide for direct election of the president by majority vote."

12. A Call for Nominations

GN Comments: Please read this announcement and put forward some of your favorite Georgists. I know that the sponsors are a first-class organization.

Leadership for a Changing World is seeking nominations of community leaders across the country who are successfully tackling tough social problems. Seventeen outstanding social justice leaders and leadership teams who are not broadly known beyond their immediate community or field will receive awards of $100,000 to advance their work, plus $15,000 for learning activities that will advance their efforts. The program seeks to encourage a public dialogue that recognizes a wide variety of leaders and leadership models as authentic and important to social progress. To this end, the program includes a major, multi-year research initiative and numerous forums to bring awardees together with other leaders to share experiences, address specific challenges, and explore opportunities for collaboration.

Leadership for a Changing World is a program of the Ford Foundation, in partnership with the Washington-based Advocacy Institute and the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service at New York University. Nominations will be accepted by the Advocacy Institute through January 7, 2005. Leaders must be nominated by someone who is well acquainted with their work and can attest to their qualifications.

To find out who the 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2004 Leadership for a Changing World awardees are, to request a brochure, or for more information on the program, go to
http://leadershipforchange.org/
Specific questions can be submitted via email to info@leadershipforchange.org, phone (202) 777-7560, or by writing to Leadership for a Changing World, Advocacy Institute, 1629 K St., NW, Suite 200, Washington, DC 20006-1629.

13. Upcoming Event

GN Comments: Greg LeRoy of the group "Good Jobs First" is circulating this announcement to "All Groups Promoting Accountable Economic Development and Smart Growth for Working Families."

Please save the days of Wednesday, May 11, 2005 - Friday, May 13, 2005 to join activists from around the country as we celebrate how broad our movement has become and explore ways to make it even stronger and more effective.

Join a broad range of groups working at many levels - community groups, labor unions, living wage campaigns, state tax and budget activists, citizen action coalitions, elected and development officials, environmentalists and smart growth advocates, and university, labor and popular educators.

Meet the people behind some of the most important efforts at reforming the use of state and local economic development subsidies, and at promoting smart growth for working families. The conference will include a broad variety of workshops and plenaries on organizing models, research, and hot topics such as community benefits agreements.

The conference will be held at the Wyndham Baltimore Inner Harbor hotel. If you already know you are likely to come, please respond to goodjobs@goodjobsfirst.org
More information will be available later.

GN Comments: The group Good Jobs First honestly tries to encourage economic development spending to be targeted toward jobs and sensible policies, rather than toward corporate welfare handouts and corruption. They seek to make corporate subsidies less deleterious, rather than seeking to abolish them outright; although that is not the Georgist view, there are compatibilities and good possibilities for spreading the Georgist message among these activists.

14. AT THE MARGIN: Quips and Quotes

Conscientious people are apt to see their duty in that which is the most painful course.
- George Eliot (Mary Ann Evans)

Nothing strengthens the judgment and quickens the conscience like individual responsibility.
- Elizabeth Cady Stanton

I should love to satisfy all, if I possibly can; but in trying to satisfy all, I may be able to satisfy none. I have, therefore, arrived at the conclusion that the best course is to satisfy one's own conscience and leave the world to form its own judgment, favorable or otherwise.
- Mohandas K. Gandhi

15. About The Georgist News

gn@progress.org

The Georgist News on the WWW - http://www.georgist.com/

Contributing to this issue:

Lindy Davies, Ed Dodson, Jeff Smith, Tony Vickers, Scott Walton, Sue Walton